Rick Ross responds to 'UOENO' date rape lyrics controversy

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Rapper Rick Ross is under fire for his new single, “U.O.E.N.O.” which seem to brag about date rape using the drug MDNA, also known as “Molly.” A women’s rights group launched a petition asking Reebok to drop Ross as a paid spokesperson, but he claims the song has simply been misinterpreted.

The lyrics in question go like this:

“Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it. I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it.”

The organization UltraViolet says in their petition, “By holding Rick Ross up as something to aspire to, Reebok is sending the message that raping a woman is cool — and that’s a dangerous message to send the boys and young men that Reebok markets to.” The petition has reportedly received more than 50,000 signatures.

Ross defends the lyrics to New Orleans radio station Q93, saying “I would never use the term rape in my records, in my lyrics. And as far as my camp, hip-hop don’t condone that, the streets don’t condone that, nobody condones that.” He also has a message for his female fans. “I just want to reach out to all my queens that’s on my timeline, all the sexy ladies, the beautiful ladies that have been reaching out to me with the misunderstanding: We don’t condone rape, and I’m not with that,” says Ross.

UltraViolet, however, says this is a pretty poor explanation. “Reebok devotes a lot of time, energy and money to marketing to women,” the group points out in a statement. “And now they are paying a man who is literally bragging about raping us while absurdly insisting it can’t possibly be rape if he doesn’t use the word ‘rape.'”

So far, the athletic apparel company has yet to respond. Ross inked an endorsement deal with Reebok in March 2012 worth an undisclosed amount of cash. In 2011, he released a remix track called “Reebok Back.”